1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an automatic start control system for automotive vehicles which is designed to control starting of the vehicle.
2. Background Art
In recent years, hybrid vehicles equipped with a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as a power source or electric vehicles equipped with only an electric motor as a power source have being increasing instead of typical engine-powered vehicles using only the internal combustion engine as a power source.
When a vehicle operator or driver has turned on a start key or button to start the internal combustion engine, the driver usually can hear the sound from or feel mechanical vibrations of the internal combustion engine within a cabin of the vehicle to perceive the fact that the engine has started. However, the electric motors are almost noiseless, so that it is difficult for the driver within the electric vehicle to recognize the fact that the vehicle is ready to run.
The engine-powered vehicles are usually equipped with a four-position key switch or a four-position switch with an off-position, an accessory (ACC) position to supply power to electric accessories, an on-position to energize an igniter for the engine, and a start position to actuate a starter for the engine, while the electric vehicles need not start the engine and are equipped with, for example, a three-position switch with the off-position, the ACC position, and the on-position to energize an inverter for driving the electric motor.
As described above, the electric vehicles are quieter than the engine-powered vehicles and also different in number of the switch positions from each other. Therefore, when getting into the electric vehicle, the driver who is used to the engine-powered vehicle may misperceive that the vehicle is not yet ready to run and take action improperly to start the vehicle.
For example, two-wheeled electric vehicles need not start the engine and are usually made ready to start only by inserting a key into the key switch and turning it to the on-position. Two-wheeled engine-powered vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines as the power source enable the driver to perceive with the sound from or mechanical vibrations of the internal combustion engine the fact that the vehicle is ready to start, but with the two-wheeled electric vehicles the driver cannot. Thus, when the driver who is on the two-wheeled electric vehicle inserts the key into the key switch, turns it to the on-position, and then grabs the accelerator lever like operations on the two-wheeled engine-powered vehicle before starting the engine, it will cause the vehicle to run undesirably.
Japanese Patent First Publication No. 6-328970 teaches an unintended starting prevention system for electric scooters which prevents an electric motor from starting unless the scooter is braked. Specifically, the unintended starting prevention system turns on a relay which connects a motor controller and a rotary throttle working as an accelerator when a logic circuit detects at least a signal indicating that the brake is actuated and stops the scooter from starting even if the throttle is actuated unless the brake is applied to the scooter.
The electric vehicles which are different in type of the key switch from the engine-powered vehicles have the possibility that the driver shifts the key to the start position and depresses the accelerator pedal unintentionally to start the vehicle under the impression that the vehicle is not yet ready to run.
The typical hybrid vehicles are usually equipped with a power switch which has three power positions (i.e., the off-position, the ACC position, and the on-position) and a motor start position to start the electric motor. The hybrid vehicles are designed to start the electric motor only when the power switch is pressed while the brake pedal is depressed. Some of the hybrid vehicles are engineered to turn on an indicator lamp when the vehicle has become ready to run for informing the driver of such a fact visually.
The unintended starting prevention system, as taught in the above publication, however, faces the problem that when the driver holds the handle bar to move the scooter, but grips the brake lever unintentionally, the scooter will be made ready to start undesirably, which causes the scooter to start to run when the driver grips the accelerator lever while under the impression that the scooter is not yet ready to run.
The unintended starting prevention system also encounters the drawback in that the driver can't know whether the scooter is ready to start or not unless the driver operates the accelerator bar actually and thus has the possibility that the driver has started the scooter in error.
The hybrid vehicles also have the problem that when the driver who is unused to handling the hybrid vehicle pushes the power switch to change the power position while checking the location or position of the brake pedal or without knowing that he or she is touching the brake pedal, the vehicle will be ready to run, which creates the possibility that when the driver checks the location or position of the accelerator pedal or depresses it carelessly under the impression that the vehicle is not yet ready to start, the vehicle starts to run.
Some of the hybrid vehicles are equipped with an indicator lamp which indicates whether the vehicle is now ready to run or not. The possibility that the driver checks the indicator lamp intentionally is, however, low if the driver mistakenly believes that the vehicle is not yet ready to run, which may cause the driver to start the vehicle unintentionally.